Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-06-10

may not weary themselves too much
with climbing.
These two were sitting awhile be-
meath the starlit skies upon one OF
| these rustic seats, when Madeline Field
did most astounding thing. She
made proposal to this blackhaired,
blonde bearded man, with the color
less face. She declared that she knew
she could cure him if she but had him
entirely under her supervision, so that
she could diet him and starve him to
her heart content. So she offered to
marry him. This was merely for the
sake OF convenience.
There was no romance in the matter,
IL purely practical business transac-
ton. She wasn't AT all in love with
him, and he was not such q man, per-
haps, as she should choose for q hus-
band, but she wanted him for sub
ject, she wished to experiment on him.
She would marry him and cure him,
and then she or he wouldgo away and
the other would get divorce on the
ground OF desertion.
No one in his home or hers, remote
from this little town i'll Arkansas,
would ever know anything of it.
The marriage should be simply n
legal contract, and broken when they
were ready to dissolve it.
He entered into the spirit of it. At
the rate he then was going, he reason
ed. he could not live long, anyway,
and he was stagnating there for want
OF sensation OF some kind. all had
been so humdrum and monotonous
for him since he had been i'll and oblig-
nl To l.,at hn hnStlA onI Of
active life. Beside, he was very much
in love with this erratic little person,
and when he died he would leave her
the whole OF his large fortune, which
should make her comforta BILE for the
rest OF her life whether she married
again or not.
Added to this, he knew she was not
cognzant of the fortune he was pos
sessed OF, and that her interest in him
was born entirely of her disInterested
love for all OF the human race. ler
wonderful sympathy with suffering.
and n noble self-abnegnation. He adj
mired and respected her above all
women, and would have done so, had
she been old and ugly; but when u
large hearted young man admires and
respects a woman who is young, sym.
pathetic and good-looking, with
thousand little tricks Of manner that
are absolutely charming, it generally
happens That the admiration deepens
into affection. and the respect into
the warmest love. So they were mar
ried very quietly. No one thought it
odd in any way or different from 9th
er marriages. Every one in Eureka
Springs was a stranger to every one
else; no one knew anything of his
neighbours home-life, or antecedents,
or cared to inquire. She took him
under her especial charge. and Il strange
honeymoon it was, with never a kiss,
or Caress, and never n word OF love,
for that was part OF the business ar
rangement. She had said:
"Of course you don't care ANYTHING
for me, nor for you, except as the
physician cares for his patient, and
there is no use i'll pretending we do, so
there will be no making believe the
love We have not, and do not care to
have. We shall treat each other i'll ev-
cry way exactly as we have done be-
lore. except as you give up all these
POISONOUS medicines you are taking,
and leave your cure in my hands"
She was very much surprised when
she found the lavish way IN which he
spent money. She suggested Roman
bathroom and soon had it construct
ed. She wished for this or that APP
piance to assist in his cure; they were
each Forthcoming.
She VAS in her element. There was
her mother for prophet y and it SEEM
ed MS though she were at home, and
here was this gentleman, pleasant and
intelligent, only an ordinary guest
and n docile patient.
She got all the books she could find
on gas poisons OF all sorts, and enter
cd enthusiastically upon her lie OF ex-
pertinent.
zone great thing" she had said, "is
to keep the mind in cheerful condi-
ton, and think as little as possible of
your malady. So she sang for him,
read to him, entertained, starved and
experimental upon him with untlring
energy and persistent goodnaturc.
Denslow had n BODY servant, who
WAS her strong ally. He followed her
orders implicitly, not allowing his
master to have one thing she prohib-
tied.
NlSttES were bdIlSiietl, WINE, WIN TIE
exception OF Il tablespoon OF port ev-
cry morning. was thrown out of the
menu, aud everything went on with the
most exact regularity.
At the end OF five months he was
very much better, almost Il well man,
and walking steadily on to acomplete
cure aud in ali that time he had new
er broken his part of the contract, he
had never even kissed the bright little
girl who was his sell-appointed nurse.
physician and wife. She is my wife
really and actually according to the
laws OF the Commonwealth of Ark an
sas, he would sometimes say to him
self, consoling himself with that fact.
He had often been sorelv tempted,
n these sweet months of what was
really his courtship, to take her in
his arms and sue for the love he crav-
ed so strongly. 1t was bad enough
when he expected to die and leave
her, but now when he knew he should
live, perhaps as long as other men.
and never be able to gain ner love, it
was terrible And, then, when he con-
templated the parting which must
come soon, he felt that he would rath-
er he an invalid Away. and have her
! daily coinpanionship if nothing more.
stu 1t was something to be we'll
| again, and when the thought OF all her
patience and unwearied kindness, her
.